AP's First Restaurant Showcase

Knowing the right people pays. We may not want to admit that to ourselves or to people that, frankly, know more of the "right" people than we do. But tomorrow is a perfect example of how striking up a conversation or a friendship or a debate with one person can lead to something special.

In September, Mr. Ancora Pasta started a new job in one of the Greater Portland area's most well-known inn restaurants. At the same time, that restaurant was introducing a new sous chef, with whom Mr. Ancora Pasta found he had a great connection. They challenged each other, taught each other new techniques, and generally had a common vision for their new place of employ.

Recently, Mr. AP's new-found friend has returned to his former employer, Solo Bistro, in a new capacity: Executive Chef. In doing so he can mold an already fabulous and well-renowned restaurant's menu to fit his style. He has passion for what he does and can now truly demonstrate that passion, and his ability, in a new setting.

So how does this benefit us, the Ancora Pasta family? Well, Solo's executive chef knows well how Mr. Ancora Pasta's passion matches his own when it comes to producing a responsible, quality product and he has asked us to partake in his new vision for Solo Bistro. As part of that process, Ancora Pasta will be teaming up with Solo Bistro to create culinary tours of different regions of Italy. Each Thursday night a new region of Italy will be explored during a three-course prix fixe menu. Each course will be carefully designed to reflect the ingredients and culinary history of that region; the wines will also fit that same bill. It's a very exciting new stage in Ancora Pasta's life!

Check out this week's menu, which focuses on the cuisine of our beloved Florence. And, if you're not busy, come check us out tomorrow evening!

il menú típico fiorentine

Primo
tortelli alle castagne e miele (chestnut ravioli with honey - the chestnut honey is from Italy; we brought it back last year after we visited Florence and forgot we had it)
Secondo
pappardelle sul maiale (pappardelle with a pork ragù)
Dolce
crostata di mele (apple tart)

Information:
Tortelli alle castagne e miele - One cannot walk down a street in Florence in the autumn or winter without seeing a vendor roasting chestnuts on a corner. The surrounding towns of Florence (specifically Ortignano Raggiolo) are responsible for producing the majority of castagne found throughout Italy and shipped here to the States. The Florentines are so passionate, they can even tell you which small town in Tuscany had the best tasting castagne, farina di castagna (chestnut flour), or miele di castagna (chestnut honey) that year! This year, my friend said it was Lunigiana.

Pappardelle sul maiale - Every city, town, neighborhood, or even street throughout Italy has its own idiosyncratic pasta shape. In Florence, the pasta of choice is clearly pappardelle. With the Tuscan region having the most abundant hunting game in Italy (most famously the cinghiale/wild boar or coniglio/rabbit), a hearty, wide strip of pasta was the best way to capture the large chunks of meat with each bite. Solo Bistro's sauce will feature pork from Squire Tarbox Farm on Westport Island.

Crostata di mele - All of the pasticciere found in Florence are filled with different forms of "pies" such as a crostata, torta, or barchetta, each being filled or covered with a seasonal fruit and/or jam, and enveloped by a sweet, crisp crust. A day in Florence is not complete without one (Mr. AP's streak is at 25 and counting!). Solo's executive chef's talented pastry-goddess wife is to thank for this delicacy!

Chianti Classico - The Tuscan region is of course synonymous with Chianti's regional wine. A Chianti Classico is strictly regulated and must be made from at least 80% sangiovese grapes found within the "old Chianti" wine region. The sangiovese grape is very sensitive to its terrain and more so than most other grapes, really gives a true sense of the soils it's grown in (calcareous soils give it the wild berry flavor; sandstone gives the flowery bouquet). Solo's owner has selected a Chianti produced by the Ricasoli family, with whom he spent some time long ago sailing along the coast of Greece (now that's a connection we'd love to have!).

Happy eating, Ancora Pasta (and Solo Bistro) fans!

Metacognitive Business

Ancora Pasta has, in large part, moved on from its "honeymoon period" at the market. We have seen encouraging signs and tasted some early success. That's not to say that we have not had to work out a few kinks and remedy some problems. Fixing problems is easy. Anyone who has had an issue with anything purchased is one more lesson for us to learn from and grow from. The hard part is imagining that someone was not able to enjoy the carefully prepared pasta as it was intended (truly hard to handle). Our goal is for that never to happen. Period. Easier said than done...

Even before Ancora Pasta started, it seemed so easy for me (Tim) to imagine: people purchase pasta and go home, cook it, enjoy it, and think how much better fresh pasta is than the $0.99 box of Mueller elbows. After all, it's pasta. Everyone has had fresh pasta before, right? My family is not the only one that constantly happens to have pasta dough hanging around "just in case", right? Everyone knows fresh pasta cooks quickly and what "al dente" is, I'm sure. What sauce goes with this you ask? - Isn't that something that you learn watching your "nonna" in the kitchen? What about thawing out the ravioli? (NO!!!) Surely, everyone knows not to do this.

But no, Tim, everyone does not know all of that.

Learning how to make pasta correctly, check that, *perfectly*, was a travail in and of itself lasting many years, but is now as easy as toasting bread. Selling it and explaining how to cook it is something completely different. Some of the issues we have come across are all a direct result of me taking a few things (aforementioned) for granted. We all assume everyone knows how to make a peanut-butter & jelly sandwich because we have all grown up with this. My assumption that everyone has had fresh pasta cooking experience was misguided. As a former English teacher, I had to teach students proper citation in research papers which dealt largely with the paradigm of "common knowledge." If it's common knowledge (i.e. Lincoln was assassinated), you do not need to cite it. Many students had problems (like me!) getting out of their minds, and into the collective minds of our society.

We at Ancora Pasta have revised a few instructions, commenced the writing of a "sauces" recipe flip book (salsa alle noce anyone?), and added a couple more ravioli to each package (not everyone eats the pasta as a "primi" as we do). These changes, along with adding a few other items to our repertoire will surely continue our quest to spread the wonders of pasta to all parts of Maine, all the while, helping us grow our business conscientiously and sustainably.